!i$@ Bee

August 31, 2010

NOTD: Leopard print

Got a lil funky with it this go 'round and decided to try my hand at leopard print nails.
I think it turned out quite alright

For this look, I used Essie's Playa del Platinum as a base color, L'Oreal's Sizzling Tangerine for the spots, and a black nail art pen for the leopard pattern.

Grrrrrr-eat

August 30, 2010

How unfortunate is this pic of The Situation + fam?

LMAO. They all have the same exact face.

People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. A soul mate's purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so out of control that you have to transform your life…

- Elizabeth Gilbert
via melodysblog

August 23, 2010

My Pink Hat Society induction + makeup tutorial

Mommy & me in our festive party hats

This past weekend, my boyfriend's mom invited me and my mom to a Red Hat Society party. For those of you outside the loop, a red hat party is basically a bunch of older ladies gathered to be festive and wear red hats and purple dresses (pink hats and lavender dresses if you're under 50).

Here's a better description, from their website:

The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and elan. We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next."
- Sue Ellen Cooper, Queen Mother

I LOVE a good excuse to dress up and be fancier than usual, plus events like this give me a chance to take my makeup to the next level. Since the colors for my age group were pink and lavender, I went ahead and did a Pink Hat Society inspired makeup look. Pics & info after the jump

Products used:

Base: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils in Hot Pink and Purple
Shadow: MAC pigment in Bright Fuchsia (hot pink); MAC eyeshadow in Parfait Amour (medium purple); and Rocket City RC-37 palette on the browbone (light pink)
Liner: NYC Liquid Eyeliner in Black; Maybelline Define-A-Line in Ebony Black
Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara BIG in Black
Blush: Stila Color Push-Ups in Rose Flash (base); NYX The Ultimate Pearl Shadow in Gold Pearl
Lips: NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in African Queen

First, les yeux:

I'm a big fan of gradient shading on the eyes. The key is to pick complimentary colors, that way they're easier to blend on the lid. If you're unsure which colors compliment each other best, consult a color wheel. And if you purposefully want your lid colors to clash, invest in good blending tools! For this look I used a regular soft bristled eyeshadow brush to pat on the shadow and a sponge tipped applicator tool to further blend the area where the purple and hot pink meet in the middle of my lid.

For my cheeks, I used Stila's creamy push-up blush in Rose Flash as a base color, then I applied NYX The Ultimate Pearl Shadow (yes, eyeshadow used as a blush folks!) in Gold Pearl over top. I like this combo a lot; first, the cream base helps the powder blush stay on longer, and second, Gold Pearl makes an excellent highlighter/blush. I think it compliments my skintone well.

Lastly, my lovely lips. NYX's African Queen is a gorgeous and bold fuchsia color with purple microshimmer. I love the smell of this gloss; it's a faint artificial cherry smell with no aftertaste. African Queen is the only shade I have of NYX's lip glosses, but if this product's excellent pigmentation, smooth application and great wear time say anything about NYX's other glosses, it certainly won't be my last.

The party itself was a success. I expressed some concern beforehand that I'd be the youngest person there but you'd be surprised (not really) at what a little champagne, cupcakes and feather boas will make you forget.

I'm like the Summer Pimp/Pink Hat Society version of my pimp costume from last Halloween:

Slayin' you hoes.

August 18, 2010

Old a$$ geezers saying whatever the f*ck they want

You tell 'em, granny

I recently engaged in a conversation on Twitter about Dr. Laura and her unfortunate use of the n-word on her radio show. The friend I was talking to reasoned that Dr. Laura has her 1st Amendment rights to protect what she says, and that it's dumb of her to become a pariah for using a word, as derogatory as it is, that many public & non-public figures say or think outright. I called PUBLICITY STUNT on the whole situation and reasoned Dr. Laura just caused a commotion to draw attention to her impending (and much welcomed) retirement.

The convo eventually led to us pinpointing the age at which we'd both say "F*CK IT" and unleash our every thought, concern, annoyance and/or displeasure onto the world. We all know at LEAST one elderly person who stopped giving a f*ck what you or anyone else thinks around 1978, and isn't ashamed to say it either.

My age was originally 55-60... or whenever my boobs hit my waistband. Mi amigo's age was 35-40 ("Hell, why wait"), but to me, that's still fighting/shanking age. I personally would have no problem tearing a middle-aged muhfugga UP (j/k, peace & love y'all), but if sh*t's sagging off your body and ish... well damn, gravity already did half the a$$whupping for me, you dig?

Anyways, the whole convo got me to thinking about this one time I was on the Metro and it was rush hour, so it was super crowded. As the doors opened at one stop, I almost got trampled by the crowd of people both trying to get on the train and come out of it. Some 350-lb grandpa in a wheelchair trying to get off the train looks dead in my face and screams, "MOVE OUT THE WAY, FAT ASS!"

Literally everyone just stopped and stared. Not only was the comment weird--this guy had more than 200-lbs on me--it was so unexpected and rude, like who says that sh*t for real? You already know the answer folks: Old a$$ geezers. And possibly NYers.

And there wasn't sh*t I could say to the guy! Not only was he old, he was in a wheelchair. Didn't stop me from coming up with something though. As I recall, I told him to go f*ck himself (knee-jerk reaction y'all). He was already off the train at that point but he heard me and his face turned bright red like he was about to explode. Not my brightest moment, pissing off a rotund old muhfugga in a wheelchair, but hey, you win some you lose some.

Guess I shouldn't have shared that story since it shows that regardless of age (and handicap... terrible, I know), not everyone's going to tolerate your old person rants just because you're old. Yes, the wisdom that comes with age should accompany the respect of those younger than you, but only if you extend that same respect to them.

At one point during our Twitter convo I asked my friend, "Do people even realize what they say/do anymore?" He replied yes, but after a certain age, why censor yourself?

I guess. And I personally cannot wait until the day where I can say whatever I want to whoever I want and have little to no repercussions because, hey, I'm old, but really. Drumming up negative attention for myself as a "last hurrah" before my retirement? Being all hostile on public transportation on the off chance that some equally as bold mofo won't tell dat a$$ off? Or, to a greater extreme, alienating friends and family with constant negativity?

Choose your battles wisely old folks!

August 13, 2010

Busy Bee

The past month has been a bit of a rollercoaster for your dear !i$@ bee. Since the beginning of July I have:

Gotten a part time job at a major clothes retailer catering to the teen and up set
Quit that job because it sucked
Gone on, like, 6 interviews since quitting--fantastic!

Not to knock retail--prior to this stint, I worked many a summer (ok, three) folding clothes, ringing up on the register, and dealing with psycho customers--but it really takes a special person to do that kind of work.

I ordinarily wouldn't put this out there for any and everyone to read, but I figure a lot of folks are in similar situations and it couldn't hurt to have another story to relate to... the real reason I despised this position is, I couldn't get over the fact that I have a college degree now and was stuck doing retail work. I'd promised myself while working retail in college that once I graduated, NO MORE. Yet there I was, on my feet all day, organizing racks and racks of clothing that some inconsiderate person(s) would destroy again in a matter of minutes, working irregular hours that left me little time for a social life, making little more than minimum wage.

I tried to suck it up and deal, but each little slight--having to keep two whole sections of the store immaculate *by myself* because most people were quitting, then being yelled at by a manager to "do better" and "try harder;" having only 30 min. for lunch and a 10 min. break per shift, both of which you had to keep track of yourself and which had to be manager-approved before taking them (try traversing a 40,000 square foot store looking for someone to approve your breaks... that eats up your "break" right there); the sh*tty employee discount: a whopping 10%--made it that much worse.

My paycheck after two weeks was a joke. It was so not worth it to me.

Once I made the decision to leave, I hit the ground running in terms of getting my resume out there and securing interviews for positions I'm better qualified for and that pay well above minimum wage. I signed up with four temp agencies to ensure I get a steady stream of job opportunities coming in. I made sure to send a thank you note after each interview. And the response I've gotten so far has me optimistic about my future job prospects

Again, as much as I hated my retail job, I can't knock it completely because it gave me the extra motivation to go out and look for something better.

I thought humility was a lesson I'd already learned through my previous stints in retail and from the state of the economy in general. An in-your-face reminder every now and then can only make me stronger.

And yes, in case you're wondering, Steven Slater is my job quitting hero. In addition to myself, of course

July 29, 2010

Stuff I've been into lately

MUSIC: Curren$y

Not only have I had Pilot Talk on repeat, but also Spitta's past albums--especially Higher Than 30,000 Feet and Jet Files. Notice a theme here? #JETLIFE

MOVIES: Experimental film

A still scene from the very disturbing A Serbian Film

As soon as someone describes a movie as "notorious," (A Serbian Film) "at once horrifying and mesmerizing," (Gummo) or just plain "odd," (Dogtooth) I MUST see it and judge for myself. These are the reviews/synopses of some recent films I've seen:

DRINK: McD's Frappes & smoothies

I try to avoid McDonald's as much as possible, but the Golden Arches' latest offerings of ice cold Frappes and smoothies have drawn me back in. I LOVE iced coffee and chai lattes in the summer time (hell, even in the dead of winter) so the caramel Frappe is right up my alley. I've tried both versions of the smoothies--Mixed Berry & Strawberry Banana--and while they are both tasty, I'm partial to the Mixed Berry myself. I got free coupons for these in the mail, so check yours or scour the internet for some free deals on the Frappes and smoothies this week.

DYING TO: Go to the pool! Haven't been in or near one all summer and it's blowin' me man.

July 13, 2010

STFU: Brandy Norwood

I'm sure most of you have heard by now of the dissolution of The-Dream & Christina Milian's marriage. They got engaged last July, married in September, renewed their vows in December, had a baby together about 5 months ago, and apparently have been separated since last year (wtf?). Recently he's been spotted canoodling in the Caribbean with his assistant...

Matching stomachs is never a good look.

Anyways, Reason #1 I'd never, ever want to be a celebrity: some interviewer asked a random bunch of B- and C-listers what they thought of the situation. I'm not sure why any of these people opened their mouths to speak on the business of someone they don't seem to know very well (or at all), but they did. And thanks to that interview we have this gem from Brandy:

Take it from somebody that’s been through so much sh*t in life. You can overcome anything with the power of God because God lives within you. So keep your head up girl. Come out and kill em’!

WOW. Should she really be advising someone to "come out and kill 'em"? I swear, these celeb*tches need a filter or something.

Listening to... Pilot Talk

Today's the day all of us who haven't given up on hip-hop music have been waiting for: Curren$y's Pilot Talk has officially dropped. I'd post a link to download, but this man's been putting out quality mixtapes for years for the very pocket-friendly price of FREE.99. This go 'round, I'd shell out the money to support 'cause this effort surely deserves it.

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. “Example”
2. “Audio Dope 2”
3. “King Kong”
4. “Seat Change” (featuring Snoop Dogg)
5. “Breakfast”
6. “Roasted” (featuring Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy)
7. “Skybourne” (featuring Smoke DZA & Big K.R.I.T.)
8. “The Hangover” (featuring Mikey Rocks)
9. “The Day” (featuring Mos Def & Jay Electronica)
10. “Prioritize (Beeper Bill)” (featuring Nesby Phips)
11. “Chilled Coughphee” (featuring Devin the Dude)
12. “Address” (featuring Stalley)
13. “Life Under The Scope”

Those of you already hip to Curren$y may have heard “Address” and “Life Under The Scope.” Earlier this year, both songs were in heavy rotation on MTV Jams. The rest of Pilot Talk is no less worthy of bumping through your speakers. Standout tracks include “King Kong,” “Seat Change,” “Breakfast,” “Roasted,” “The Hangover,” and “Prioritize.”

Yes, lighting up is a common theme in Curren$y's songs (especially noteworthy is his acknowledgment of a rarely mentioned demographic: the female pothead), but I don't think weed defines his music so much that non-stoners can't access and enjoy it. If you dig excellent wordplay, humorous storytelling, retro-futuristic beats, chill lounge music or any combination thereof, Pilot Talk is your album.

All of this is to say: go forth and PURCHASE this album. Or at the very least, a ticket to Curren$y's shows*. Support good music, y'all.

JET LIFE...

*For my DC heads, Spitta will be here this Friday.